Maple Leaves
by Minty Lynni
Summary: A collection of mostly short stories in the life of Tobio and Tetsuya as expecting parents.
1. Chapter 1

Tobio turned in the direction of the door as he heard it open and heard Tetsuya enter.

"Hey, babe. Welcome home." Tobio called from the kitchen. Tetsuya poked his head in the door.

"Hey..." the brunette mumbled in reply.

"I was just getting started on dinner, so sit tight, ok?"

"Don't bother."

Tobio was shocked to hear this from Tetsuya. He turned around to fully face him, his eyes wide.

"What do you mean 'don't bother'?" He asked.

"Don't bother. I'm not hungry." And with that, Tetsuya dissapeared down the hallway.

Tobio was a more than a little worried as to why his lover (his pregnant lover at that) didn't want to eat. This isn't the only meal he had refused. Tobio knew that Tetsuya wasn't ever used to eating much after his incident with Echizen so long ago, but now that his crustacean boy was carrying their child everything changed. Tobio nodded to himself, deciding to put his foot down and go front Tetsuya about his lack of food intake.

He gently pushed open the bedroom door and peeked inside. He blushed slightly as he watched Tetsuya undress and change into Pajamma bottoms and then flop into bed.

"Tetsuya...?" Tobio poked his head in. Tetsuya sleepily looked up at him.

"What?"

"Is there a reason you've been rejecting food lately?" Tobio asked outright.

"I just haven't felt hungry lately." Tetsuya replied, honestly just wanting Tobio off his back.

"Tetsuya you can't tell me that you haven't been hungry at all this week while being 4 months pregnant!" Tobio barked. "Tell me what's going on, now!" Tetsuya flinched at the sudden loud tone in Tobio's voice. Tobio also recoiled slightly as he noticed the look on Tetsuya's face.

The "I'm trying not to cry atm that was not cool dude" look.

"Hey, I'm sorry..." Tobio tried to say before for Tetsuya rolled over, facing away from him.

"Save it..."

"Tetsuya, I'm just worried, ok?" Tobio climbed up onto the bed and layed behind Tetsuya, pulling him into a spooning position. Tetsuya tried to look all huffy about it but actually really needed to be held.

"I haven't been feeling too good, y'know..." He mumbled.

"Hm?"

"I've been... feeling... depressed... again..." Tetsuya whimperd. Tobio's eyes widened.

"Again? Is it like... when I..."

Tetsuya nodded.

A few years prior, Tobio left on a 4-year war tour, and his absence caused a huge meltdown in which Tetsuya became extremely depressed. When Tobio returned Tetsuya steadily got better. Tobio couldn't imagine what triggered it this time.

"I guess all the stress from work and the sudden stress of expecting a baby is really taking a toll on me, huh crabcakes...?"

"Why didn't you speak up about this sooner?!" Tobio propped himself up on his elbow and Tetsuya rolled onto his back, staring up at Tobio with his sad, brown eyes. Tobio opened his mouth to speak, trying several times, but he ended up giving up. With his jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut he gently lowered himself, so he was face planted into Tetsuya's chest but no other part of him was laying on Tetsuya.

"Tobio...?"

"...Why didn't I notice you were so unhappy...?"

"Don't start blaming yourself."

"But I'm supposed to notice those things! Uhg!"

"Stop it."

"Why?!"

"I don't want you blaming yourself and beating yourself up over my emotional issues." Tetsuya ran his hand through Tobio's hair. Tobio adjusted himself so his ear was resting against Tetsuya's baby bump. Since the taller brunette was so skinny, he started showing right away. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for the kid's heartbeat. Who knows, it might be dead cause you're not feeding it." Tobio huffed. Tetsuya scoffed right back.

"It's alive. I've felt it move a few times in the past half hour or so..."

"WHAT?! Kicks don't start this early, do they?! Does it even have legs?!" Tobio asked, franticly feeling for any signs of movement.

"They aren't kicks. At least I don't think so. But I don't think you can feel them, I can hardly feel them myself. It's more like it wiggles for a short while and then stops. It's like it's learning to move, almost..." Tetsuya explained. Tobio sighed.

"Oh..."

"Mmmm..."

"Tetsuya..."

"Yes?"

"Why be depressed when you can be amazed at this?" Tobio suggested. "I mean, most guys can't do what you're doing... I mean, you've felt it move, she's deffinetly there. I'm not overseas, I'm here with you, and I'm here FOR you. " Tobio propped himself up on his elbow again and grinned at Tetsuya. Tetsuya merely stared at him, his brown eyes wide and watery.

"Tobio..."

"So I say again..." He leaned down and kissed Tetsuya's stomach, just above his belly button. "Why be depressed when we're gonna be daddies?"

After a long pause, Tetsuya finally responded...

"I don't know whether to kiss you all over or ask you to make me the biggest stack of pancakes you can manage." Tetsuya replied.

"Glad to see mommy has his appetite back!" Tobio said with a chuckle.

"Make up your mind, am I a mommy or a daddy?" Tetsuya said with a pout.

"Both?"

"Alright, enough chitchat, more pancakes!"

Tobio and Tetsuya both jumped up from the bed and darted to the kitchen.

Tobio got out the pancake mix and the pans to make them, then glanced over to see Tetsuya standing in the doorway, eyes cast downwards, one arm propped on the side of the door, his other hand was on his stomach.

"Something wrong?"

"No, just... thought I felt it move again..." Tetsuya looked up to see the wide grin that had spread across Tobio's face. The Cancer gazed into his Capricorn's bright peridot eyes, usually murkey and dark, but now, they were lit up like jewels. Tetsuya never wanted to forget the excited expression on Tobio's face, it was too perfect. It was the spitting image of an over-excited, dorky, father-to-be. Tetsuya finally smiled back. "Oh wow, what's with that look?"

"What look?"

"You look like that one time you walked into that lolipop emporium. It's like that, but better..." Tobio immedietly blushed and turned back to making pancakes. "Aww! I shouldn't have said anything!" Tetsuya giggled. Tobio had managed to make about 7 pancakes before he ran out of pancake mix. He put them all on a plate and made sure to pour a generous ammount of maple syrup on them before giving them to Tetsuya.

"That's a loooooot of maple syrup." Tetsuya observed as he looked at the pancakes.

"The doctor said you needed to gain weight." Tobio retorted.

"Is this the right way to do it...?"

"Eat your goddanm pancakes."

Suprisingly, Tetsuya only took about 20 minutes with his pancakes.

"Were they good?" Tobio asked.

"Yeah..." Tetsuya's eyelids drooped, his hands lazily resting on his full tummy.

"Somebody's tired~..." Tobio pointed out in a singsongy voice.

"Uh huh..." The brunette could hardly keep his eyes open. With a little effort, Tobio managed to get his taller lover up into his arms and carried him to bed. He set Tetsuya down on the bed and then took off his shirt before climbing into bed with him. Tobio pulled Tetsuya into his arms, wanting to hold his lover and child close. Tetsuya was soon snoring and Tobio followed suit, not before giving Tetsuya a kiss on the corner of his mouth and whispering...

"I love you..."


	2. Chapter 2

He was beautiful.

Tobio smiled, gently running a hand against Tetsuya's cheek.

Tetsuya was honestly gorgeous.

This became a habit of his, whenever he awoke before Tetsuya, he would just lie in bed and admire his lovely husband.

Since being pregnant with little Kaede, Tetsuya had undergone quite a number of changes. The biggest would be his swollen abdomen. It was round and warm to the touch, and it was just the right size to be noticable, but it wouldn't really get in the way of daily things, and it was adorable and Tetsuya loved it when Tobio would cuddle it.

Another change was the rest of Tetsuya's appearence. Tobio noticed that Tetsuya's skin was no longer sickly pale, but now had a healthy glow to it, his olivine hair was silky and smooth, another nice edition. Tetsuya's dark mahogany eyes seemed to get brighter too, shining like polished oak in the light.

Tobio glanced over at the clock. It was almost noon and Tobio decided now would be a good time to wake Tetsuya up. He leaned in and kissed Tetsuya's nose. That seemed ineffective so he trailed his hand down to Tetsuya's round tummy. He snaked his hand under his top and gently rubbed on the tight skin with the tips of his fingers. He soon heard an 'Ooh' from Tetsuya as the pleasurable sensation eased him awake.

"Mornin', Sunshine~" Tobio murmured to him. Tetsuya gave Tobio a soft and mind-numbingly adorable smile.

"Good morning..." He mumbled back as he snuggled into the pillow. Tobio chuckled.

"Goddanmit stop being so adorable!"

"Sorry, I suppose I can't help it." He giggled. Tobio sat up and swung his legs off the bed. He got up and went to the dresser to look for a shirt and some pants. After rumaging around and getting his clothes on he turned over to Tetsuya. He was sitting up, cross-legged with his hands feeling his round belly.

"Something up?" Tobio asked. Tetsuya shook his head and closed his eyes, smiling.

"She's kicking..." Tobio crawled onto the bed next to Tetsuya and put his hand on his tummy. He grined as he felt something nudge his hand.

"Wow..." Tobio breathed out.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Tobio smiled and stood up. Tetsuya followed as Tobio left the bedroom and went to a flight of stairs. "I'm gonna go open the store real quick, I'll be right back". Tobio owned a candy store on the bottom floor of the small complex, and he always opened it around this time on weekends. When he came back, Tetsuya was reclined on the couch in the living room. "Tetsuya?"

"Huh?"

"What are you doing?" Tobio asked. Tetsuya had been gently stroking his tummy when Tobio walked in.

"Oh... she's kicking pretty hard, so I was trying to calm her down..." Tetsuya mumbled.

"She's probably hungry, I'll get started on breakfast." Tobio said with a chuckle. "Don't get up, just stay there and relax." Tobio demanded when Tetsuya went to stand up.

"You don't want help?"

"No, it's okay, I've got it." Tobio smiled. "Just sit there and continiue to be beautiful." And that's all Tobio said as he turned and went into the kitchen, leaving Tetsuya sitting there with a dusty pink blush on his cheeks and a very tenacious daughter in his belly. 


End file.
